At one time or another we've all pulled a reusable plastic container out of the sink or dishwasher and found that last week's tomato sauce or soup has stained the plastic an odd shade of red. Thankfully, there's an easy way to clean those stains right out and make your tupperware look like new. You just need a little bleach, a little water, and your microwave.

The recipe, over at My American Confessions, goes like this: a quarter cup of bleach, a drop of dish soap, and some tap water. Pour it all in the container and toss it in the microwave for about 40 seconds, or until the liquid starts to bubble. Pull the container back out, let it stand until the water is lukewarm—this step is important—and then give it a good washing with soap and a sponge, or a run through the dishwasher.

The end product is twofold: your microwave is that much cleaner thanks to all of the steam, and the tupperware container should be as good as new. It's important to differentiate a stained container from a damaged one (you can tell because a damaged one is all rough on the inside), the latter of which shouldn't be used for food (or recycled.)

If you balk at the idea of microwaving bleach, one of the commenters at My American Confessions suggests using hot or boiling water and then adding bleach and dish soap to get the same effect-the important step is letting it all rest in the container and cool. If you're no fan of bleach at all, that's okay—we've covered another method that uses lemon juice instead.